Accelerator pedal actuating device



Jan. 27, 19 42. us ssow 2,270,901

ACCELERATOR PEDAL ACTUATING DEVICE Filed Nov. 15, 1959 I N V E N T0 R Snot?! A. 550W.

Patented Jan. 27, 1942 UNITED STATES PAT r xfirmme navrce ACCELERATOR ENT OFFICE George A. Bubissow, New York, N. Y. Application November 15, 1939, Serial No. 304364 12 Claims. (Cl. 14-51:)

This application is a continuation in part of my prior copending application Serial #160,425, filed August 23, 1937, for Throttle actuating devim. a

The existing accelerator devices actuated by means of footwear (or foot) are all very defective because they require a constant pressure on the accelerator pedal from the footwear of the operator, which pressure may, only be maintained if constant will-power is used and is maintained in the muscles and nerves of the leg and/or the feet of the operator. Furthermore, in existing accelerator pedal devices, the driver must always lift his toes and sometimes the entire foot in order to put the sole of his shoe on the pedal. No doubt this is not only extremely tiring but also very injurious to the health of the operator, especially if the operator is a professional driver or has to drive several hours at a time. n a

Many inventors have "tried to eliminate the said inconveniences of the existing accelerator pedal or throttle, but all these inventors have failed to create a device which is very easy to build, very cheap in price and at the same time eliminates entirely strain on the muscles all of which my invention accomplishes in a very satisfactory manner. Furthermore, the novel device, subject of this invention, may be placed on any existing car in a few minutes by means of two screws and does not take up any extra space, nor does it prevent the operation of other pedals. It is adaptable to the existing pedal so that if the operator still wishes to continue to use the old pedal, when for instance driving in the city with a great deal of trafiic, he is able to use both.

is to be expressly understood, however, thatthe drawing is for purpom ofschematical illuse 1 is-a front view partly in section of the flooring with the device mounted thereon.

2 isa scheniatical top plan view of Figure 1. v

Figure 3 is a front view partly in section of the pulley in enlarged scale.

view in perspective of thefixation element. 0

Fi ure element. 0

Figures 6 and 7 are schematical cross-sectional views on an enlarged scale of a locking device of the fixation element.

Figure8isacroasectionalviewoftheaxle of the device and adjacent elements with parts broken out.

One aspect of this invention is clearly illus- 5 is a plan view of another fixation tratedinFigurelwhereinthedevieeiseomposed of a lever 20 freely pivoting on an axle 2| which is rigidlyafiixed, preferably vertically, to the flooring II. The other end N of the said lever 20 is provided with holes or hooks or the like on one of which is attached a flexible connection 22; the other end of which flexible connection is attached directly to the existing accelerator pedal in a present day car or, as shown in the drawing, to a fixation element 21 attached rigidly to the said pedal 20. The flexible connection 22 is shown attached to a hook-like member 26, which atthe same time forms a locking device having a square or ring-like closed contour. The fiexlble connection 22 passes 1 This invention is an improvement on previous trationonly and is not intended as a definition as to the design or to the limits of the several aspects of this invention.

All figures represent different aspects of this invention in simplified and diagrammatical form of illustration.

In the drawing wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several ever, if in some'cases the said part ofthe con-' nection is inclined at an angle if that is eon-.

venient in operation. V n

One of the essential features of this invention consists in the fact that it is very' easyto choose the place where the pulley should be mounted andonlyoneholeisnecessarytoamxit. Thereafter the position of'the hole for the axle of the lever is decided upon, Once the pulley and the lever are mounted, the chain is placed and tightened, and the deviceis to operate. .f For certain cars of standard make,'it would be advisable, instead of separately mounting the pulley (or the guide element) and me m t provide a supporting plate on which will be rlg- I acceleration desired.

idly aflixed simultaneously the pulley (or the guide means) so that as soon as the said supporting plate is mounted rigidly on the flooring by suitable means, the device is ready for use.

Another aspect of this invention consists in the factthat instead of a pulley, any other type of guide means may be employed. The pulley 1s more advantageous because it diminishes the friction by rotating. However, a simple ring, hook or; the like, not shown in the drawing, may also give satisfactory results. i

In a few cases the pulley'may be eliminated, and then the lever device should be placed close to the pedal and the flexible connection will pass between the pedal and the lever directly; however, this arrangement requires a re-enforcement of the axle because of the bending forces resulting from such an arrangement.

Prior to operation the said flexible connection 22 is preferably slightly tightened, and in this position, as shown in Figure 2, the lever Ill, and in particular its parts 24, is slightly pressed on the arresting means 38, rigidly affixed to the flooring 30 or forming a part of the support 23 on which the 'axle 2| is mounted. it the shoe 45 pushes forward without exercising any intenfrom any other material, wood, hard rubber, Bakelite, glass, Celluloid, etc.

On Figures 1 and 2 the axle 2| is placed between the ends of the lever, but it may also be placed at one end of the lever, and then the flexible connection could be attached somewhere between the axle of the lever and the free end of the lever. This arrangement is not shown in the drawing, being self-evident.

It is recommended that theflexible' connection be arranged so that the part of the flexible connection between the pulley 3| and the lever 24 will move parallel to the flooring. This is not indispensable, but recommended.

The flexible connection could consist of a chain of any form, preferably a flat chain or a round chain which is pliable. Belts, cords or I any other kind of flexible connection may also tional downward pressure, 'the lever 'pivots forward, whereupon the other end of the lever 24 is then pressed backwards, the flexible connection 22 is tightened more and more and pulls the accelerator'pedal downward to the degree of The relationship between the lever parts 20 on the right side of the axle and the lever parts 24 onthe left side of the axle, i. e., the place 5 of the shoe and the flooring, which frictional engagement between the sole of the shoe and the flooring will keep the lever in any required accelerating position. For this purpose, the flooring'may be provided with friction augmenting means 52, Figures 1 and 2, or friction diminishing means 63, Figures 1 and 2, of any kind ortype desired. For instance, the rubber coverings customarily used at the present time in cars provide good friction increasing means.

Owing to the fact that, with this arrangement, the sole of'the shoe must slide continuously on the adjacent part of the lever, it may be advisable to provide a small area at the point where the toe of the shoe rests with a friction diminishing plate, such'as a thin, small metal plate.

. However, this is not absolutely necessary and good results are obtained without it.

Another aspect of this invention lies in the fact that, in order to retard the wearing out of the sole of the shoe, the contact surface of the lever '20 may be cushioned with suitable material to make the contact between the sole of the H strip could be aflixed a U form support 42. This support may be weldedor riveted, not shown in r the drawing, or cutout of just one piece of metal in sucha manner that the arms could be bent upward asshown 42 in Figures 1, 2 and 8. A hole is madein these supports, which. hole fits the axle 2|. This lever may also bemade be used. The connection may be provided with means for controlling the degree of tightness or may contain severalhooks so that'the necessary degree of tightness may be obtained, not shown in the drawing. The flexible connection on its way from the fixation element-on thepedal to the lever should preferably pass through one pulley, which is, generally speaking, sufficient. but in some cases it may be desirable to provide more than one pulleyand to install the same not only rotating parallel to the flooring but. at any angle to the flooring, not shown in the drawing.

Instead of one such arrangement, two or more could be provided simultaneously for the same car so that another passenger could drive, and if necessary, even when sitting'in a rear seat. This may be important for safetys sake.

The pulley itself, by way of example only, is

3 shown in its simplest form inFigure 3, wherein a pulley 3| made from metal or any other material is mounted on a rigid support 32, the said support being affixed by means of a bolt or any other arrangement 48 on which a screw 41 is placed and axwasher 46 is preferably provided. It is advisable to affix the support of the pulley 32 by means of a single screw or bolt or the like placed in a support 43 in which a hole 44 is provided as shown in Figures 2 and 3. By attaching the pulley with one single fixation means, it is easy'to turn the pulley so that it takes the most advantageous position in respect to the movement of the chain.

Great attention should be paid to the simplicity of the fixation element 21 for the pedal, which constitutes another aspect of this invention. Accelerator pedals are different in type and form. They maybe circular, in the form of long strips, etc. Their average thickness is about of an inch and their average width is about 1 /2" (by way of example). Therefore a standardized fixation element may be provided.

Such fixation element should be sufiiciently wide to fit any width of pedal. By way of example only two types'of such elements are shown: the,

one, as shown in Figure 4, consists'of a bent strip of metal, upper part I! and lower'partfl. The height 56 of this element should approximate the thickness-of the pedal. However, if it is smaller then the fixation element will'be bent outwardly but will still fit the pedal. If 58 is larger than the thickness of the pedal, then it will be bent inwardly and still flt the pedal. Since this is self-evident, it is not shown in the drawing.

To fit such afixatlonelement on the pedal,

it is sufficient to'insert the locking device it into a slit provided between 54 and 55. There fore, it is necessary to provide 50 with a slit 5|. This locking device may operate as shown in Figure 6, wherein both 50 and (55 and 54) are both pressed out in a form so that they may be inserted in each other. They may be inclined slightly in order to provide a strong locking.

n Figure 7 only 55 and is bent, and 50 is straight. In order to close such locking devices,

the fixation element should be opened at an angle, the flexibility of the material easily permitting such action. It may be advisable that the lower part 52 be provided with a slight step 53. However, generally speaking, the thickness 56 should be sufficiently larger than the height of the step 53. Then there will be sumcient room tocreate the necessary tightening effect when the device is mounted. The upper part 50 may be provided with a hook or the like 52 on which the flexible connection may be attached.

Another aspect 51 of the flexible connection is shown on Figure 5 which corresponds to 21 on Figure 1. The two ends 59, upper and lower,

may slightly diminish in width and may be provided with a small opening 60, in which a look-- ing element 58 remains when the necessary tightening has been effected. This locking element may be of any desired contour, may form a band-like ring or a ring made from thick wire. By way of example, a wire ring 58 is shown, which forms at the same time a hook on which the chain 22 is attached. This hook should preferably rest on the end 59 in order to have more rigidity. However, if the fwire is sufiiciently strong, it could pass over the end of the fixation element, as shown in Figure 1, hook 26.

Instead of using the described fixation ele ment, any other type of fixation may also be employed, such as rubber bands provided with hooks, not shown on the drawings, which rubber bands could then be stretched and put on the pedal; the hook being placed so that the flexible connection can easily operate. Also a small belt of rubber, leather or other material provided with a catch, tongue, button or clasp may replace the metal flexible element. Such belt-like fixation elements may be provided with hooks to receive the flexible connection. This arrangement, being self-evident, is not shown in the drawing.

The axle on which the lever is mounted may be rigidly aifixed to a supporting washer or plate 23, and the said supporting washer or plate may then be rigidly affixed to the flooring. This arrangement is not shown in the drawing.

The axle as shown in Figures 8 and l is an axle provided with an enlargement 4| which rests on a supporting washer or the like 23,

sufliciently large to offer the necessary rigidity.

The axle ll may be screwed into the washer 23; this. however, is not shown in the drawing. It

' Y may also pass loosely into 23 as shown at 6| in Figure 8. Then the other part of the axle 36 provided with a thread is provided with a washer 39 and a screw or the like 40 which tightens the axle to the flooring and simultaneously to the supporting washer 23.

The said supporting washer or plate 23 for receiving the axle may, if desired, be of larger size than shown on the figure. It may cover the whole area of the displacement of the lever. In case the floor is covered by a soft material, such as rubber or cloth, sometimes it will be advisable to increase the thickness of the sup orting washer 23 or to use instead of one supporting washer two or more laid on top of each other so that after the axle is tightened and the soft covering is pressed upon by the support. the part of the covering around the said support willnot rise too much and thus movement of the lever will not be prevented.

The arrangement described heretofore is extremely cheap, gives the possibility of using only one thread and afllxes the whole system through one single hole to the flooring. The washer 23 forms a support and it may be provided with an arresting means 38 pressed out from the same washer or welded or screwed on it. It serves as arresting means for the lever. The supporting washer 23 may also be provided with at least one arresting means 31 which moves downwards and enters into the wood or the rubber of the flooring on which the washer 23 rests in order to prevent the rotation of the washer from the force exercised by the lever on the arresting means 38. The supporting washer 23 may be of a circular form as shown in the draw ing or of any other contour, or size curved or straight. It may, for, instance, be a pentagon or have 6 or more ends. The extreme points of such ends may be slightly turned downward so that they will enter the flooring when tightened and will prevent the rotation.

The axle 2| may be provided with cut-outs in which a fixation ring 35 enters after the lever 25 is mounted upon it.

The lever 25 may be straight or have a curved form. The bent edges constituting a support 42, Figures 2 and 8 on which the hole for receiving the axle 2! is placed, may have, instead of this one hole a plurality of holes so that when putting the axle in one or another hole, different relations between the lever parts are obtained. The operating part of the lever 24 may be provided with more than one hole, hook or the like 25 to receive the connecting means 22 according to which reaction of the accelerating system is to be overcome.

A further aspect of this invention is to use this device not only attached to the existing pedals but also attached to any desired rod of the accelerating system. For this reason, the flexible connection instead of going downwards around a pulley 3| as shown on Figures 1 and 2 may go upwards on the same, and thereafter through a hole provided in the flooring, the connection goes downwards and is attached to a suitable lever or rod of the accelerating system. This is not shown. being self-evident.

If desired this arrangement may be used as a new accelerating device and the old accelerating .pedal may be entirely eliminated.

The advantage of this invention is that the minutes time and for this purpose, it is only necessary to make two holes in the flooring. It is perfectly safe to operate. 4

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. A foot-operated device to beused in combination with the common accelerator pedal comprising a lever mounted upon an axle substantially perpendicular to the flooring and a flexible connecting means attached by its one end to'the said lever and by its other end attached to the said accelerator pedal, said fiexible connection on its way from the lever to the said accelerator pedal being guided by at least one guide means rigidly aflixed to the flooring.

2. A foot-operated device to be used in combination with the common accelerator pedal comprising a lever mounted upon an axle substantially perpendicular to the flooring and 8. flexible connecting means attached by its one end to the said lever and by its other end attached to the said accelerator pedal, said flexible connection on its way from the lever to the said accelerator pedal passing through at least one pulley, the support of which pulley is rigidly ailixed to the flooring in the proximity of the of which pulley is rigidly affixed to the flooring in the proximity of the said accelerator pedal.

4. A foot-operated device to be used in combination with the common accelerator pedal comprising a lever mounted upon an axle substantially perpendicular to the flooring and a flexible connecting means attached by its one end to the said lever and by its other end attached to the said accelerator pedal, said flexible connection on its way from the said lever to the said accelerator pedal being turned by means of a guide member rigidly aflixed to the flooring in the proximity of the said accelerator pedal and through which the said flexible connection passes, the part of said flexible connection between the said guide member and the said lever being sub stantially parallel to the flooring.

5. A foot-operated device to be used in combination with the common accelerator pedal comprising a lever mounted upon an axle substantially perpendicular to the flooring and a flexshoe is covered with a friction augmentingmeans.

9. A foot-operated device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the said guide means attached to the flooring is attached on such a place on the flooring near to the said accelerator pedal that the.

part of the said flexible connection between the said lever and the said guide means remains substantially parallel and the part of the said flexible connection between the said guide means and the said accelerator pedal remains substantially perpendicular to the flooring.

10. A foot-operated device to be used in combination with the common accelerator pedal comprising a lever mounted upon the axle substantially perpendicular to the flooring and a flexible connecting means attached by its one end to a bent metal strip member afflxed around a part of the said accelerator pedal, said bent metal strip member being provided with locking means to ensure its rigid fixation on the said part of the said accelerator pedal, and by its other end attached'to the said lever, said flexible connection on its way from the said bent metal strip member to the said accelerator pedal passing through at least one pulley, the support of which pulley is rigidly aflixed to the flooring in the proximity of the said accelerator pedal.

11. A foot-operated device to be used in combination with the common accelerator pedal comprising a lever mounted upon an axle substantially perpendicular to the flooring and a. flexible connecting means attached by its one end to the said lever and by its other end attached to the said accelerator pedal, said flexible connection on its way from the lever to the said accelerator pedal being guided by at least-one guide means rigidly afiixed in respect to the flooring, said ible connecting means attached by its one end to the said lever and by its other end attached to the said accelerator pedal, said flexible connection on its way from the said lever to the said accelerator pedal being guided by. at least one guide means rigidly aflixed to the flooring, the said axle being provided with an enlargement 'on which rests the lever when rotating, said axle being further provided with a bolt-like extension and screw member which flxate the axle to the flooring.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5 wherein a supporting member is introduced between the enlargement of the axle and the upper part of the flooring and a washer is introduced between I the screw and the lower part of the flooring.

'7. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the area adjacent to the lever part contacting the shoe is covered with a friction diminishing means.

8. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the v area adjacent to the lever part contacting the axle being provided with an enlargement on which it rests when rotating on a supporting means provided therefore, said means provided with arresting means to control the said lever.

12. A foot-operated device to be used in combination with the common accelerator pedal comprising a lever mounted upon an axle substantially perpendicular to the flooring and a flexible connecting means attached by its one end to the said lever and by its other end attached to the said accelerator pedal, said flexible connection on its way from the lever to the said accelerator pedal being guided by at least one guide means rigidly afl'lxed in respect to the floor ing, said axle being provided with an enlargement on which it rests when rotating on a supporting means provided therefore, said means provided with arresting means to control the said lever, another arresting means provided on the bottom of the said supporting plate to contact the floor on which the said supporting plate is aifixed and prevent the said supporting plate from being displaced.

GEORGE A. RUBISSOW. 

